Recovering bodies from the Thames after the Princess Alice Disaster: 19th century

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Recovering bodies from the Thames after the 'Princess Alice' Disaster. Princess Alice was one of the many steamboats which provided recreation trips along the Thames in the 19th century. In 1878, Princess Alice came into collision with a collier. More than 600 holiday makers were drowned as a result. This image depicts the aftermath of the disaster, when many small vessels and boatmen were on the Thames in a effort to resque as many bodies as they could. As there was no passenger list, the exact number of victims is unknown, it has been estimated that as many as 700 people died that day. This image was published in the Illustrated London News dated 14th September 1878, Vol. LXXXIII, page 248-249.